John Andretti was the fastest second-round qualifier Saturday as time trials were completed for Sunday’s Miller Genuine Draft 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.
Andretti, driving for the first-year team co-owned by former Ford executive Michael Kranefuss and Chicago businessman Carl Haas, improved from 181.406 m.p.h. on Friday in the opening round of time trials to 183.838.
That moved him from 29th to 21st in the 42-car lineup.
“We’re still getting our legs underneath us,” Andretti said. “But everybody’s working real hard and we’re onto something now.”
Robert Pressley, the replacement for retired Harry Gant, was next in Saturday’s session at 183.570, followed by Elton Sawyer, who made the biggest jump of the day, improving from 177.340 to 183.048.
Each of the 38 drivers who qualified for the field by lap speed surpassed the previous track qualifying record of 181.082, set last August by Geoff Bodine. Jeff Gordon won his seventh pole in 14 tries, leading the qualifying on Friday with a lap of 186.611.
